Sustainability
A sustainable British brand
The biggest lesson that I took away from my product design studies was that our disposable culture has caused huge environmental problems, and that we are now living with the guilt of our society’s wastefulness every day.
To provide an alternative to this Love Heartwood was founded on the values outlined below. I’m committed to creating toys and homewares that connect us all with the natural world and demonstrate how we can live in harmony with nature.
My ongoing goal is to make Love Heartwood the most sustainable small business it can be. To that end, I am committed to becoming a Net Zero business by tracking our carbon footprint so that it can be managed in a mindful way.
The Love Heartwood Ecologi Forest
Together we’re growing a forest!
Every time you buy a handmade, wooden gift from Love HeartWood you’re also gifting a tree to the world.
In partnership with Ecologi we plant a tree for every purchase.
Our Eco Values
Sustainable Materials
All the wood used is from local sustainable or reclaimed sources.
This includes foraged as well as timber from merchants with sustainability credentials such as Tyler Hardwoods Ltd and Dalmann’s.
Healthy Paint & Finishes
All our stains and finishes are naturally plant-based because it’s healthier for people and the planet.
Plastic free
All products and packaging are made from naturally biodegradable materials. Postal boxes are made from recycled and recyclable carboard and sealed with paper tape. Beyond that, we avoid single use plastics completely in our workshop and office. A decision that led to us being awarded Plastic Free Champion status by Surfers Against Sewage in 2023.
Low waste
As well as using reclaimed wood, where possible, production waste is reduced by making smaller items from the offcuts from the larger ones.
Wood shavings, which are our main waste product, are donated to a local primary school to use in their food composter. Love Heartwood also offers a wooden toy repair service to encourage people to reuse their toys instead of throwing them away.
Ethical
Love Heartwood is committed to operating fairly, transparently and paying a living wage to its staff. This includes only buying from ethical suppliers who pay a living wage. Love Heartwood is a member of the business organisation Ethical Reading.
Working Towards Net Zero
Blue Patch Membership
As a member of Blue Patch we are taking part in their CO2 Reduction course to learn how to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of our business and address its wider environmental impact.
We are researching the provenance of our materials and the impact of the processes, packaging and logistics that we use, as well as exploring ways to reduce any waste generated.
Steps we have taken to reduce our Scope 1 emissions:
- monitor our energy usage
- research ways to reduce electricty through renewable energy
Steps we have taken to reduce our Scope 2 emissions:
- Suppliers are as local as possible to keep transportation to a minimum. e.g. the hemp seed oil used to seal bowls and plates is produced just across the Thames in Oxfordshire.
- The Love Heartwood website is hosted on a green server that runs on renewable wind power.
- We have removed single use plastic in the office and workshop.
- Our packaging is plastic free and made from recycled and recyclable materials.
- Product leaflets and marketing materials are printed on recycled paper and where possible with eco friendly inks.
Steps we have already taken to reduce our Scope 3 emissions:
- Use the Royal Mail ,the UK’s greenest parcel operator, for our postal deliveries.
- Buy certified UK grown timber
- Use wood sourced from local tree surgeons that would otherwise be chipped or split for firewood
- Our toys are presented in reusable, organic cotton bags made using the low waste khadi method at the Udyog Bharti co-operative in Gujarat. See The Sustainable Toy Story below for more information.
Steps we are considering taking to reduce our Scope 3 emissions:
- Switching to an environmentally friendly insurer.
We will update this information as we progress.
[23.02.2026]
The sustainable Toy Story
As a toy maker it’s important to me not to follow the current linear industrial production model of take-make-waste because this model has led to the world’s current waste and pollution problems. As a sustainable british brand I want to follow nature’s example and think circularly.
Instead of designing a product only up to its point of sale, I think all the way to the end of it’s life. This is done by:
- Designing out waste and pollution
- Keeping products and materials in use as long as possible
- Regenerating natural systems